By Seif Gracien Hasingizwimana/Kigali,Rwanda,
Farmers, cooperative leaders and members of Water User Associations from the Kinoni I, Kinoni II and Nyamugali irrigation schemes in Kirehe District say they are committed to putting into practice the knowledge and lessons gained during a study tour to the Kanyonyomba Irrigation Scheme in Gatsibo District.
Among the key lessons learned was that an irrigation dam can serve purposes beyond supplying water for crop production. Through fish farming, livestock rearing, banana cultivation and beekeeping, the Kanyonyomba Water Users Association generates income that helps maintain irrigation infrastructure, pay workers and reduce fees paid by members.
Twiringimana Samuel, President of the Water Users Association in the Kinoni II Irrigation Scheme in Kirehe District, said the visit completely changed the way they view irrigation infrastructure.
“We used to think a dam is only for irrigation. But today we have seen that it can also become a source of income. We saw how fish farming, grass harvesting and other activities are generating money that helps maintain infrastructure and support management activities. This is something we want to introduce in our irrigation schemes,” he said.
Samuel noted that many irrigation schemes in Kirehe still depend mainly on contributions from farmers for maintenance and operation costs.
According to him, learning from Kanyonyomba could help create sustainable financing mechanisms and improve the long-term management of irrigation systems.
Nyirakamanzi Claudine, a member of Koseranya Cooperative in Nyamugali Cell, Nyamugali Sector, Kirehe District, says her life and that of her family changed significantly after relocating to Eastern Rwanda in 2009 from Gishwati in Bigogwe Sector.
She explains that at the time, she and other residents had been prohibited from farming in Gishwati Forest, yet agriculture was the main source of livelihood for her family.
She says she decided to move to an area where farmland was available and purchased a plot of land. She later gained access to irrigation through a dam, which helped her increase agricultural production and expand her farming activities together with her husband.
“We immediately started farming, and the harvest helped us pay school fees for our children. Above all, I thank the President of the Republic for helping us get dams in Eastern Rwanda because they have helped protect our families from hunger,” she said.
She says that after the dam was constructed, she immediately started growing cucumbers and watermelons, crops that could now be cultivated more consistently due to irrigation infrastructure.
“As soon as the dam was completed, I started growing cucumbers and watermelons because those were the crops I was already familiar with. However, during this study tour, I saw new practices that are different from what we have been doing in Kirehe District. Previously, from May to December, during the dry season, we did not engage in any farming activities,” she said.
She explained that this situation had serious consequences because the produce they had stored would be consumed before the next farming season arrived, leaving them with food shortages and limited income.
Nyirakamanzi says there are now visible improvements in agricultural production and farming practices, although farmers still face market-related challenges.
“There is now a difference because if you want beans, you can grow them, harvest them, and supply them to Kigali. However, when you take them there, some buyers undervalue the produce because they prefer to come to the site and negotiate lower prices. Before farmers’ associations were established, I used to sell my produce in Mbugangari in Gisenyi Sector, Rubavu District, where I earned substantial income. It helped me buy a vehicle, and I was among those who founded groups in Kigarama Sector together with an elder known as Rutagungira,” she said.
Reflecting on the recent study tour, Nyirakamanzi says it has provided her with knowledge that will help improve her family’s agricultural activities and allow her to share what she has learned with others.
“This study tour is going to bring many changes to my family. I will share the knowledge I gained with my husband because he gave me permission to attend on his behalf. I saw different nursery practices compared to those we normally use. There were materials used for raising seedlings that I am now planning to look for so that I can also apply them,” she said.
She added that she gained knowledge on the efficient use of water and water conservation practices aimed at protecting the environment while increasing agricultural productivity.
“Previously, I harvested one tonne of maize per hectare, but now I harvest three tonnes per hectare. For beans, I used to harvest six 100-kilogram bags per hectare, but recently I harvested two tonnes of beans per hectare,” she said.
Pascal Ndahimana, President of the Kanyonyomba Water Users Association (UPSAMAKA), said their scheme has established several income-generating activities that support infrastructure maintenance and help ensure the sustainability of irrigation operations.
“Our advice to other irrigation schemes is simple: do not rely only on contributions from farmers. Create projects that generate income for the Water Users Association. Today we earn money from fish farming, livestock, banana plantations and rental properties. These revenues help us maintain infrastructure, pay workers who manage water distribution and reduce the burden on farmers,” he said.
The Kanyonyomba Irrigation Scheme was constructed in 2005 with support from the World Bank and the Government of Rwanda and started operating in 2006. The dam has a storage capacity of approximately 550,000 cubic metres of water, enabling irrigation of 333 hectares of farmland and serving more than 1,285 members.
The scheme has six main canals, four secondary distribution systems and nine irrigation zones, making it one of the most organized irrigation schemes in the region.
Ndahimana explained that fish farming started in Kanyonyomba in 2013 after the association received fish fingerlings from RAB and has continued to generate income every year.
“During the first year we harvested fish worth nearly Rwf3 million. Since then, fish farming has continued to generate income every year. The money is invested in maintaining infrastructure and helping our members. It also helps us pay workers who support daily irrigation operations,” he said.
The scheme operates two dams stocked with fish, generating approximately Rwf4 million annually.
Beyond fish farming, the association has expanded into livestock rearing, banana plantations, beekeeping and rental property management, creating multiple sources of income that support irrigation management.
According to Ndahimana, fish farming generates about Rwf4 million annually, while the livestock project contributes around Rwf3.6 million per year. Banana plantations bring in approximately Rwf700,000 annually, while rental income from the association’s office building contributes about Rwf360,000 each year.
Combined with other income-generating activities, these projects contribute nearly Rwf32 million annually to the Water Users Association’s budget.
The association also benefits from strong community participation. Every year, members contribute labour for canal cleaning, repairing infrastructure and protecting irrigation facilities. The value of this contribution is estimated at Rwf52 million annually.
Together with direct financial contributions from members of approximately Rwf16 million per year, the organization manages an annual budget of nearly Rwf112 million.
Ndahimana said this financial model has allowed the association to reduce maintenance fees paid by farmers.
“If we depend only on farmers’ contributions, maintenance becomes difficult because farmers already have many responsibilities. That is why we invest in projects that generate income and support infrastructure maintenance. Because of these projects, we recently reduced the maintenance fee from Rwf250 to Rwf210 per are. This allows farmers to keep more of their earnings while ensuring that the irrigation system remains sustainable.”
Jules Mporana, Water Users Organization Specialist under RAB and SAIP II, said the study tour was organized to enable farmers to learn from successful experiences and practical solutions implemented elsewhere.
“Irrigation is not only about water. It is also about governance, financial management, ownership and sustainability. Farmers must understand how to manage infrastructure and how to create additional sources of income that can support maintenance and future investments,” he said.
He added that many irrigation schemes across Rwanda were established through significant investments by the government and development partners, making community ownership essential for their long-term sustainability.
Mporana emphasized that many irrigation schemes across Rwanda were built through major public investments worth billions of francs and therefore require strong community ownership to remain functional for generations.
He warned that relying only on member contributions may not be enough to sustain irrigation infrastructure in the long term.
“When communities learn how to generate income from the assets they already have, they become less dependent on external support. That is the kind of ownership we want to promote through these learning exchanges.”
Jules Concluded saying that the future of sustainable irrigation lies not only in delivering water to crops, but also in turning irrigation infrastructure into productive assets that can finance their own maintenance and support rural development.
Farmers from Kirehe say the lessons learned from the Kanyonyomba Irrigation Scheme in Gatsibo District will help them explore ways of generating value from existing infrastructure and identifying additional sources of income that can support the maintenance and development of their irrigation schemes.
This study tour of Water User Associations and cooperatives from Kinoni I, Kinoni II and Nyamugali, sponsored by the SAIP Project, aims to enhance governance and water management practices. Participants will learn how to address existing gaps through knowledge exchange with fellow farmers from Rwamagana and Gatsibo, enabling them to learn from each other’s experiences. The tour covers key areas such as increasing service fees, improving transparency and accountability, collaborating with local leaders and maintaining irrigation infrastructure through water service fees. The goal is to foster greater ownership and productivity among participants to ensure sustainable water management.
The program was organized by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) through the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP II), a Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)-funded project supported by the World Bank. It aims to strengthen the capacity of farmers and Water User Associations through practical learning, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and exposure to successful irrigation management practices. The project objective is to increase agricultural productivity, market access, and food security of the targeted beneficiaries in the project intervention areas.
